"Barefoot" Bob Mccreadie: 299 And CountingAs of this writing, DIRT Modified legend Bob McCreadie is one big-block victory away from reaching 300 victories for his career. The milestone has been 22 years in the making.

Entering the month of August, the Watertown, New York, veteran has scored 299 DIRT Modified feature race victories, the highest total ever compiled in DIRT Motorsports' 27-year oval-track history.

"I never used to look back, but I guess it's something everybody does when they get older," said McCreadie, 51, who parked his legendary No. 9 mount in Victory Lane four times through July of this season. His newest Troyer entry carried him to his 99th career big-block triumph at Canandaigua (New York) Speedway on July 20.

"It's a record that probably won't last too long with all the talented drivers still racing full time," McCreadie added. "Guys like Alan (Johnson) and Timmy (Bob's son) still have a ways to go but at least it will be nice if I can hold it for a little while."

Prior to recording his first DIRT-sanctioned big-block victory at Five Mile Point Speedway in Kirkwood, New York, in 1981, McCreadie was already lauded as a local hero in the north country, posting 104 victories from 1975-80. On the brink of taking his 300th checkered flag, triumphs at 27 more DIRT affiliates in five states and Canada have brought him greater recognition on the national level.

"I'm proudest about the fact that I stayed with the big-blocks and raced against the best drivers," McCreadie said. "If I can't continue to be competitive, that will be the time to call it quits."

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McCreadie's core of New York tracks remains Canandaigua, Brewerton Speedway, Cayuga County Fair Speedway, and Rolling Wheels Raceway, where he has racked up 239 of his 299 big-block feature triumphs. Ten have been logged in 200-lap championship events staged at Rolling Wheels (six), Cayuga County (three), and Canandaigua.

On the road, McCreadie has captured 51 (third all-time) Advance Auto Parts Modified Super DIRT Series wins. The two-time overall Mr. DIRT Modified champion set the all-time record for victories in a season with nine in 1994.

Currently a career record-holder with 19 DIRT big-block Modified track point championships, "Barefoot" Bob holds the single-season marks of 43 feature wins and 15 at Canandaigua (both in 1994). He won 14 times at Brewerton in 1995.

McCreadie was selected as DIRT Motorsports Driver of the Year in 1994 and 1995 and is a four-time winner of DIRT's Most Popular Driver award.

Shop Now at C&R!C&R Racing, Inc. has opened C&R Racing Performance, a retail outlet at its Guion Road facility in Indianapolis.

Gary Adams is a rookie racer from Santa Rosa, California, and he earned his first feature victory on May 29, 2002, on the 31/48-mile clay oval at Petaluma Speedway.

Adams was third in points, which is a stellar performance for a rookie racer. He also credits Circle Track with helping him out with "knowledge and setup ideas for the hobby racer."

NASCAR ThunderTM Rolls AgainNASCAR ThunderTM 2003, the latest racing game from EA Sports, is due out soon, and for serious gamers, the new title is just as essential as the previous editions.

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The game, available for PlayStation(r)2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube, and PC, offers a completely new gaming engine with improved physics, AI and control, and improved graphics rendering, including new spectacular car and track highlights, enhanced smoke and damage, and more dynamic racing venues.

For those who do this a lot-and there are a lot of you out there-NASCAR ThunderTM 2003 features a 20-year Career Mode, the deepest among all racing games and features like the Lightning Challenge, which offer scenarios from real NASCAR races. More than 30 of these scenarios play out on your screen, with you in the driver's seat. Take, for instance, Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Pepsi 400 victory in July 2001, where he came from deep in the pack with a couple of laps left to win. You start in the same place Junior did, with the same cars around you, and see if you can drive it to the finish line first.

For the second straight year, the game features all 23 NASCAR tracks, plus six new speedway-infield road-racing courses and a new superspeedway. Fourteen of the tracks feature both day and night racing, and EA added the old Daytona Beach course to this year's edition.

For Circle Track readers, the new game is equipped with the largest number of car setup options ever offered in a NASCAR simulation. Numerous adjustable options include fender flares, rear-spoiler angles, tire pressure, wedge, gearing, suspension, anti-rollbar, etc. Configure your car for each race and roll out for test sessions without affecting your NASCAR Winston Cup standings.

5/6Homemade Caster/Camber Gauge

Sleepy's Tool Time-Caster/Camber GaugeThis tool consists of a piece of 11/42- to 51/48-inch inside diameter tubing and a 31/48-inch steel rod. The tube should be of a size to fit the ball joint. The tube is cut with a half-round notch on one end and flat on the other. The length should be about 31/44-inch longer than the measurement between the ends of the upper and lower ball joints. The tube should then be able to slip over the tang or unthreaded part of the lower joint. The half-notch lets the tube fit over one side of the upper ball joint. In short, slip the tube over the lower tang then let the half-notch end saddle over the tang of the top ball joint. If one end of the tube is loose over the joint, squeeze it until it is snug.

A piece of 31/48-inch steel rod about 13 inches long should be welded to the tube as shown. Weld it on square and then check it for square. When the tube is in place on the ball joints, attach a magnetic angle finder on the rod. This will read out caster directly.

Place the 13-inch rod on the wheel again using the angle finder. It will read camber directly. E-mail Sleepy at sleepy.gomez@prodigy.net.

Gaining A Competitive EdgeCompetitive Edge Racing School, based in Yakima, Washington, has come up with a private, arrive-and-drive professional stock car racing series for aspiring drivers. The school, which has bases at six tracks from Washington State to Colorado, runs identically prepared 435-hp Late Model stock cars for its 6-day, 12-race series.

This year, the school added "The Test of the Best," a 211/42-day competition for the aspiring driver. Contestants first participate in the school's 2-day Competition Racing School. Four judges grade each contestant on all aspects of the course, both in the classroom and on the track.

This year's Test of the Best took place April 3-5 at Yakima Speedway. Following more than 80 green-flag laps of practice, a qualifying session, four two-abreast green-flag-start exercises and a seven-to-10-lap passing exercise, Tom Hughs of Arlington, Washington was declared the winner. For his victory, Hughs earned a seat on the Competitive Edge Race Series (a $5,970 value). The second- and third-place finishers received a Race Weekend package worth $1,195.

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Hughs, a 35-year-old aerospace mechanic, said he hadn't been closer than the grandstands to a racing car in 15 years. "It was an amazing experience," he said. "I knew I could drive a Late Model car if given the opportunity but never found myself with an extra $100,000 in my pocket. This summer I will be racing and the best part is the Competitive Edge Race Series has a $10,000 championship point fund. I could make money at this!"

Hughs, a Circle Track subscriber for the past 16 years, said he knows he "won't become the next Dale Jr. or Kevin Harvick, but this summer I'll feel like a professional driver when all I have to do is show up with my helmet and driving suit and go racing."

Competitive Edge Racing School can be reached at 800/699-7080 or on the World Wide Web at www.racingschool.com.

ASA's Clanton Breaks Victory RecordJoey Clanton broke seven-time American Speed Association national champion Mike Eddy's record for consecutive victories to open a season on May 5 when he won the ASARacing.com 300 at Florida's Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola.

It was the fourth consecutive checkered flag for the third-year veteran to open the 2002 ASA Racing Series season. Clanton's victory, his eighth in 44 career starts, broke the record he shared with Eddy, who won three straight events to start the 1995 season. The Michigan legend turned the hat trick at Columbus, Toledo, and Indianapolis that year.

"It's incredible to break a Mike Eddy record," said Clanton. "To think it hasn't been done in 35 years means a lot to me and winning at Five Flags in ASA is like a Snowball Derby (traditional stock car event held at the track)."

After leading for 745 of 800 laps through the first three events, Clanton found the going a lot tougher on the abrasive racing surface at the half-mile oval in Florida's Panhandle region. Temperatures in the upper 80s, under mostly sunny skies, forced five drivers to abandon their rides during the event due to fatigue.

Clanton made it five straight to open the season on May 19, winning ASA's next race at Hawkeye Downs Speedway in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Butch Miller ended Clanton's run at Berlin Raceway in Michigan on June 1, and Kevin Cywinski won the following week at Wisconsin International Raceway. Clanton won at Elko (Minnesota) Raceway and I-70 Speedway in Missouri to make it seven of nine. With six races left in the '02 season, Clanton had won eight of 14 and led the point standings.

Ironically, in 1995, the year of Eddy's streak, he lost the series title to Bryan Reffner.